The printers, which are embodied in the invention, may be miniature, portable printers which have been used on factory floors, in warehouses, and in retail establishments for ticket printing and inventory control. For example, such portable printers are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,004,053, 5,806,993, and 5,267,800, and in the Monarch Model 6015 and 6017 printer data sheets. These printers print indicia, such as text, barcodes, or graphics, on media, such as adhesive-back label stock or paper, from a roll in the printer's housing. Being miniature, such portable printers, compared to heavier stationary or briefcase printers, are of a small weight and size to be easily carried, worn by a user.
Portable printers may be attached to portable devices, such as terminals or Personal Data Assistant (PDA), such as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,270,271, 5,816,725, 5,209,583, and 4,881,839. However, these portable printers are limited for use with a particular model or type of portable device, and have no facility for allowing a user to easily attach different models, types, or kinds of portable devices for use with the printer. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a portable printer easily attachable to different models, types, or kinds of portable devices.